Flood Prone Areas of India

Out of the country’s total geographical area (329 millions hectares) about 45 million hectares (13.6 %) is prone to floods (2012). The flood prone areas of India have been plotted in Fig. 4.26. An examination of Fig. 4.26 shows that the flood prone areas are well scattered in different parts of the country, ranging from the heavy rainfall areas to the scanty rainfall areas. Flood is, however, a recurring feature during the rainy season in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. Floods also occur along the eastern coastal plains, the valley of Kashmir, the lower reaches of the rivers discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Khambat (Arabian Sea). The flood affected areas of India are as under:

1. The Ganga River Basin

2. The Brahmaputra River Basin

3. The Punjab Haryana Flood Plain

4. Flood Prone Areas of the Coastal Plains.